The Texas Mexican Railway Depots -- Laredo TX
N 27° 30.572 W 099° 30.465
14R E 449852 N 3042975
An impressive combination passenger and freight depot building for the Texas Mexican Railway stands in downtown Laredo.
Waymark Code: WMPFZT
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/25/2015
Views: 5
This dual-purpose passenger and freight depot for the Texas Mexican railway is located at 1200 Washington Street in downtown Laredo. It houses the operations of the Texas Mexican railway, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kansas City Southern Railroad. The TMRR is an important rail link between the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the rest of the world.
A state historic marker nearby reads as follows:
"THE TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY
Leading merchants in Corpus Christi began planning the Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Railroad in the 1850s to boost the south Gulf Coast as a center for commerce. Lack of funding and an economic slump prevented progress until 1875 when Uriah Lott became president of the railroad. Lott recruited major investors such as Richard King and Robert Kleberg to finance the construction of a narrow gauge rail line from Corpus Christi to San Diego.
The lucrative Valley market was sought by other rail companies who were vying for its control. Lott engineered the sale of the Corpus Christi and Rio Grande Railroad to a syndicate in the 1880s. The new owners were granted a charter with the name of the Texas-Mexican Railway Company. Laredo emerged as a major rail trading center and its population tripled in the 1880s.
Over time the Texas Mexican Railway remained competitive by upgrading its system. Improvements included converting to standard gauge track by 1902, switching its locomotives to diesel electric in 1939, placing trailer on flatcars in the 1950s, and expanding operations into Houston and Beaumont in 1996. (1997)
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes
Is the station/depot open to the public?: No
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Texas Mexican R, Kansas City Southern RR
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the station/depot taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this station/depot and any interesting information you learned about it while there.